Ruling PASOK party deputy Petros Efthymiou was elected as the new president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), during the forum’s 19th annual session.
Efthymiou, who was a Vice-President in the Assembly, was elected with 130 votes, against 64 of Senator Consiglio Di Nino (Canada).
Participants at the 19th session discussed a wide range of issues, amongst which the situation in Kyrgyzstan, the Parliamentary Assembly’s involvement in the Corfu process, the peace process in the Middle East, nuclear security, cyber-crime.
(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) Prime Minister George Papandreou addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasburg on Tuesday where he initially referred at length to globalisation and its effect on the world, before detailing Athens’ positions on a variety of issues of Greek and regional interest, including Greek-Turkish relations, respect of international rules, Turkey’s European orientation as well as the financial crisis, the Cyprus issue, human rights and the role of the European Council.
In his speech, Papandreou stressed the government’s steadfastness to face the economic crisis, stating that “we are determined to put our house in order.”
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: Report (26.1.2010)

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis visited Lithuania on June 30, on the occasion of the 18the annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Speaking before the Assembly, Bakoyannis focused on three issues: the need to take the OSCE forward in the economic and environmental dimension; the objective of building lasting stability and security in Georgia; the process of launching a new high-level dialogue on European security. In Lithuania, Bakoyannis also held bilateral talks with the political leadership of the country (photo), who expressed support for the “Corfu Process” launched last weekend. The minister will visit two of the OSCE’s most important missions in Baku and Yerevan today.

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) Chairperson-in-Office Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said modesty, consolidation and time were needed for a successful conclusion to the discussion on how to develop the European security architecture in a speech delivered at an OSCE Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Vienna yesterday. Noting that the issue had been discussed between the 56 Foreign Ministers participating in the December 2008 OSCE Ministerial Council in Helsinki, Bakoyannis said the debate so far had confirmed that the OSCE is the natural platform for pan-European discussion. She said three principles could help guide the discussions. “The first is modesty. We have come a long way since the Cold War. Walls have been torn down and families reunited. But the job is not done. Some participating States feel that we have not yet overcome all dividing lines in Europe. So let us take every invitation to dialogue seriously,” she said. The second principle was consolidation: “As we consider new initiatives, let us build on the ground that we have cleared already,” Bakoyannis said. The final principle was to proceed slowly, she noted, keeping in mind that the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, which led to the creation of the OSCE, was preceded by lengthy discussions including 2,400 meetings and deliberations on 4,660 proposals. “We should take the time required to prepare a positive agenda, to consider all options and consult widely,” she said. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Opening Speech of Dora Bakoyannis at the Winter Meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Statements of FM Bakoyannis on the margins of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly